Unlikely Help
by obsidianLight16
Summary: If there was anything Deidara and Itachi could relate to- it was having long hair. And oddly enough, it was the one thing that eased tensions between them.


**A/N: Phew~ Second story today with these guys. ****But I'm in the writing mood so... Huzzah!**

**Warning: Language, slight OOC, short tempers, etc. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story and ideas.**

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><p>Deidara was not having a good morning. It was early- well before any of the other members woke up- and he was still stuck in their shared bathroom with a brush in his hand.<p>

For some reason he couldn't fix his hair into his usual half ponytail. He didn't know whether it was his fingers constantly slipping and becoming entangled in his hair, or the fact that the ribbon he was trying to use to tie up his hair kept falling out- but he was becoming pissed.

Really pissed.

Especially since his hair was now twisted and messy from his many attempts at pulling it up.

He ground his teeth, patience already gone out the window as he went to tie his hair up one last time.

The end result was a hideous bump of hair sticking askew out the side of his head.

"Kami un- I'm so pissed off!" Deidara screamed in anger, ripping the hair-tie out of his hair before chucking both the ribbon and brush at the bathroom mirror.

The mirror exploded when the brush made contact, causing tiny shards of glass to fly everywhere. The sound that came from the broken mirror sounded like someone had just been shot, and was sure to wake several of the members who slept closer to the bathroom.

But Deidara ignored this in favor clenching his fists until his nails had made deep indents in his palms.

He furiously grabbed at his hair, trying to detangle it from the twisted mess it had formed, the unfinished ponytail he had been trying to accomplish forming an unattractive lump on top of his head. After struggling viciously with his _precious _hair, he gave up, dropping his arms with his irritation level at an all time high.

With every second that passed he could feel himself getting more and more annoyed. The more times he glanced at himself in the mirror and saw his hair- knowing that he couldn't tame it. It just…It just pissed him off so much!

He hated it! He hated how he had to go through the struggle of tying it up everyday! He hated how it always got tangled and thick knots! In fact- he just hated his hair!

With a deranged smile and fingers clenching and unclenching in fury, he threw open the cabinets beneath the sink. He threw plastic containers, hair products of the other members, shavers, soap, bath towels, and anything else in his way out behind him.

Finally, all the way in the back in a tiny-ass plastic container, was what he was looking for. He seized it in a maddened rush of aggravation, grabbing a clump of his hair without hesitation and beginning to cut the annoyingly long lump on top of his head off.

A hand grabbed his wrist before he could continue, causing his eyes to narrow and glance to the side.

An ever impassive raven stared at him, his grip never loosening. "What are you doing?"

Deidara tried to jerk away, furious at being seen in such a hideous state. "Nothing! Go away un!"

"…" Itachi pressed down in the blonde's wrist, causing his fingers to open and the thick pair of scissors to clatter to the bathroom floor. "You're angry," he stated.

"No- what gave you _that _idea hmm?" Deidara stepped back, bringing the older male along with him on accident. "Let go of me."

Itachi looked at him in silence before doing as told, glancing down to the pair of scissors. "Are you having trouble?"

Deidara scowled. "_No_."

"You shouldn't cut your hair," Itachi told him.

"You shouldn't pry into other people's business," Deidara shot back, huffily stepping away until his legs hit the corner of the toilet.

Itachi studied him in silence before closing the bathroom door behind him and turning to face the now obviously petrified blonde in front of him.

"Why did you do that un?" Deidara asked with large eyes.

Itachi picked up the thrown hairbrush, guiding Deidara to the edge of the bathtub and ordering him to sit with his eyes. It was silent as he started to brush the outrageous knots out of the lump of hair on top of the blonde's head first, carefully removing the irritating tangles before taking the ribbon out of Deidara's clenched fist and tying it into its trademark ponytail Then he flipped the ponytail up so he could easily take care of the long blonde locks hanging over Deidara's shoulder and back.

A few minutes later Itachi stepped away. "It's done."

Deidara looked over his shoulder, patting his hair in slight bewilderment. Not a bump or knot in sight. And the strokes had been soothing- not rough at all.

Itachi placed Deidara's hairbrush on the sink counter, gaze lingering on the shattered glass around it. "If I were you, I'd try not to throw things at the mirror the next time you get angry. Kakuzu's going to make you pay for that."

Deidara stood somewhat stiffly, an embarrassed flush on his face as Itachi started to walk out the tiny room. "Wait un."

Itachi paused, looking over his shoulder.

Deidara fidgeted awkwardly before looking away. "T-Thanks…"

Itachi stared at him for a moment before a small smile appeared. "You really aren't used to thanking others, are you?"

Deidara's face immediately turned into a scowl. "Listen here you-"

Itachi waved his hand, effectively cutting off anything degrading the younger blonde might have to say. "You're welcome." He turned, halfway out the door. "If you need help again, just come to my room."

Deidara gaped at his vanishing form.

~X~

Deidara pursed his lips from where he stood in the dark hallway, ribbon and brush in hand with a glare on his face.

"You know- if you're going to stand out there, at least knock," Itachi's calm voice said.

Deidara blinked before narrowing his eyes. "I'm not out here!"

"…"

"…" Deidara brought a palm to his face.

Itachi opened his door a few seconds later, reading glasses on the bridge of his nose and book in hand. "Deidara, why are you here?"

Deidara looked off to the side as a dull light flooded out from the Uchiha's room, clearly embarrassed.

Itachi took one look at the blonde's disheveled appearance and the mess that was his hair before beckoning him inside.

~X~

A week later Deidara was still coming back to his room.

Itachi tiredly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes from where he leant against his doorway. "I know I told you I'd be willing to help whenever you needed it- but _every _morning?"

Deidara just shoved the brush and ribbon at him and pushed his way into the bedroom.

Itachi sighed, hanging his head slightly before closing the door and turning to tend to the blonde teen.

~X~

There was obnoxious knocking on his door.

Itachi rolled out of bed, hitting the floor hard with a muffled groan.

The knocking continued, giving the dark-haired man a dull headache as he pushed to his feet and stumbled over to the source of the noise. He threw open the door, catching the fist that had been about to knock again.

Deidara looked at him surprised. "Morning."

"…" Itachi stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"Did I wake you un?"

Itachi's glare was more than enough of an answer.

Deidara sheepishly laughed, offering a hairbrush in the Uchiha's direction.

~X~

Kisame nudged Sasori. "Is it just me, or are our partners getting along a lot better than before?"

Sasori shrugged, but watched the two youngest Akatsuki members enter the living room with peaceful expressions on. "Better than them trying to kill each other."

Kisame's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Yeah, but now they're doing _everything _together. Look- they're sitting next to each other without any problems!"

Sasori blinked, looking at the two sitting beside one another on the couch. "Now _that's _weird."

"You think they've got something going on?"

"Or maybe they're just plotting against us."

"But even so…" Kisame trailed off. "Working together?"

Sasori smirked. "Not likely."

The two shared a hearty laugh.

Deidara looked up and glanced over at them, an eyebrow raised. "Um…Kisame-no-danna, Sasori-no-danna?"

They looked at him.

Itachi spared the older nin a glance, eyes flashing red. "We can hear you quite well."

Kisame and Sasori stood from where they had been sitting against the wall, sweatdropping slightly as they began to inch their way out the room.

"Well….we've got to take care of some stuff now," Kisame said with a forced smile.

"Stuff that's real important," Sasori added, a grin stretched across his face as well.

Deidara looked at them as they hurriedly left before looking at the Uchiha next to him. "You didn't have to scare them un."

Itachi didn't bother looking at him as he began surfing through their T.V. channels. "I don't like people prying into my business."

"Oh…"

"…"

"Itachi?"

"What is it?"

"Can I take care of yours next time?"

Itachi gave him a sideways glance. "If you can't even take care of your own, what makes you think I'll let you take care of mine?"

Deidara rolled his eyes. "I learn quickly."

Itachi softly scoffed.

"I heard that you bastard!" Deidara shouted, vein throbbing. "Just you wait un! One day it'll be _you _begging to me for help!"

"Not likely." Itachi flicked him in the side of the head. "Now shut up and watch the movie."

"Hmph. Whatever…"

~X~

Sasori and Kisame, who had been leaning outside the doorway in curiosity, now drew back with wide eyes.

"Are they…?" Kisame started to ask.

Sasori shook his head, beginning to walk away. "Don't question it Kisame."

~X~

Deidara smirked, listening to his danna and Kisame disappear.

Itachi made an unimpressed sound. "You did that on purpose."

Deidara shrugged. "Not my fault they were eavesdropping. And you're the one who said you don't like people prying."

"Hn. I guess you're right."

"I always am hmm."

Itachi jabbed him in the forehead. "Don't get a big head. Now seriously- shut up and watch the movie before I never do your hair again."

Deidara frowned and grumbled under his breath, but turned his attention to the movie on screen anyway.

And it was at this that Itachi smiled.

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><p><strong>AN: I just realized what a hassle having so much hair could be and thought I'd write about it. **

**My hair was doing a _very _good job of pissing me off- almost making me want to buzz it all off. **

**But then I remembered how much I love my hair so... yeah :D**


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